"Sometimes in our lives you meet a unique individual you instantly become friends with and whom you feel that you have known your whole life. That was the case with Bill Stinson. We met Bill Stinson over a year ago. He had contacted Hank's brother, Dan, who lives in Nampa, Idaho in a chat room that had something to do with ATV riding (what else!). Dan told Bill that he really needed to contact Hank and find out what we were trying to do up here in the White Mountains. Reluctantly, Bill called Hank! Life hasn't been the same for any of us since! Hank explained to Bill what we were trying to accomplish up here in the "mountains" and that we had decided to host a jamboree in September to help facilitate all these goals. The rest is history.

Bill not only shared our same passion, but he became a good friend and confidant along the way. Bill told us last March that he had found out his cancer was back. We learned even more about Bill Stinson in the following months. We learned that he was a proud man and an unbelievable fighter that wanted to fight his fight in private. We were asked not to let anyone know about his condition and we honored his request. As Bill quickly lost his good health and strength, he still insisted in coming up to our place the first of August and helping us out with the jamboree any way he could. His selfless dedication to the "cause" made the jamboree the great success that it was. As Bill manned the jamboree office while we were on a trip to South Carolina in August, we came back to find several of our files had been mistakenly erased or deleted. Bill explained to us that he didn't know what happened -- he told us that he would be working on the jamboree stuff and fall asleep at the computer! That one experience tells more than words how dedicated Bill was in seeing this jamboree happen.

We want to dedicate one of Hank's grandfather's poems to Bill Stinson,
with a slight adaptation to fit him:

TRAILS TOGETHER

Just an old quadrider who courted the wind,
Courted the wind and the sun
Who's loved it all -- the heat, the cold
Who's fought the fight and won.

Painfree and happy he's ridin' now
Though the wind may be cold
and raw.
With smoke over the home
camp drifting
Over the hill and down the draw.

And contented he rides though his hands are cold,
Dust makes his sight grow dim.
How many miles to his warm RV
Is all that's worrying him.

Will the trailer door be open,
The forest gate swingin' wide?
May old friends be there waiting,
At the camp on the other side?

May the grass be green and tender,
May the water be cool, and the shade
Be lingering around the campsite
Where AAR friends have rode and played.

And so he rides in the evening,
Rides 'cause his work's about done.
The biker who courted the wind,
The wind, the trail and the sun.'

Sincerely
Hank & Debbie Rogers
Arizona ATV Outlaw Trail Coordinator



Bill was one of the founding members of Arizona ATV Riders and served as a past President of the club. He was a true friend to all who knew him.

His dream of an ATV jamboree in our state was recently realized at the Arizona Outlaw ATV Jamboree, which he helped to make a reality. Bill's illness prevented him from participating in the event, but he was able to attend and see his dream come true.

Bill's dedication and hard work on behalf of AAR and the OHV community in Arizona will be missed.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy, and his family, in this time of sorrow.

Sincerely,

Dan Scheske
President
Arizona ATV Riders, Inc.
dano@azatvriders.org